What is Emotional Abuse?

Emotional abuse (also called Psychological Abuse) is behaviour that has a harmful effect on the adult’s emotional health, well-being and development. It is the denial of a person’s human and civil rights including choice and opinion, privacy and dignity and being able to follow one’s own spiritual and cultural beliefs or sexual orientation.

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 orover who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse: